Mount Ranked as One of America’s Best Colleges

September 10, 2013

ALLIANCE, Ohio — The University of Mount Union has been ranked sixth in U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 America’s Best Colleges ranking in addition to being ranked 8th in the publication’s Best Values ranking, both in the Midwest Regional Colleges Category. This 11-state region includes institutions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Mount Union’s 2014 Best Colleges ranking is up from last year’s 12th place finish in the same category and marks the 23rd consecutive year that Mount Union has been included in the listing.

“We take great pride in our long history as one of America’s Best Colleges,” said Dr. Richard F. Giese, president of the University. “This year’s sixth-place ranking is an all-time high for Mount Union, and we are pleased to be ranked so favorably among our peers in the Midwest.”

To determine the America’s Best Colleges rankings, U.S. News & World Report tallied the results of surveys of college presidents, deans and admissions directors. These surveys, combined with educational data provided by the colleges themselves, resulted in the rankings. As stated on the U.S. News and World Report website, colleges and universities were ranked according to graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

The Best Values rankings are determined by comparing the ratio of quality to price, need-based aid and average discount of only those schools that were ranked in or near the top half of their 2014 Best Colleges ranking categories, according to the U.S. News and World Report website.

“We are especially thrilled to be ranked so highly in the Best Values listing, which reinforces what we have known for years – the University of Mount Union provides a high-quality education of value that is a proven investment as evidenced by the successes of our students and alumni and supported by this accolade and others we have recently received,” said Giese.

Just last month, Mount Union was ranked #1 in the Great Lakes Region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, for return on investment by collegefactual.com and as one of the top schools in Ohio for the greatest lifetime return on investment by AffordableCollegesOnline.org. Mount Union was also ranked in the top 13% of four-year, accredited private and public colleges and universities nationally by Forbes. In addition, the University was among the top 40 baccalaureate colleges and universities in the nation in Washington Monthly’s listing of the nation’s top colleges.